ABOUT WHERETHEPHO

A side project that stuck with me.

I started WhereThePho in 2009 because I wanted an easier way to find Vietnamese food. Here's how it began, what it looked like, and why I'm giving it another shot.

Back in 2009.

I'm Tony Huynh, founder of 29FX. My family is from South Vietnam, and Vietnamese food has always been part of my life. WhereThePho began as a hobby project: a way to make it easier to find a bowl of pho or another Vietnamese dish nearby.

I designed the bowl logo, built the restaurant search, and kicked around ideas for reviews, photos, menus, and merch.

The early versions.

A lot changed between the 2010 concept and the live homepage captured in 2011. The restaurant search and bowl logo stayed at the center of both.

An early WhereThePho search-page design with a yellow sunburst, restaurant map, bowl markers, and an illustrated landscape. — An early search-page design from 2010.

The 2011 WhereThePho homepage with a blue sky, restaurant search and map, restaurant list, and an illustrated landscape leading to a pho shop. — The live homepage captured February 8, 2011.

Bringing it back.

I eventually stopped working on the site, but I never completely let it go. In 2026, I decided to rebuild it. This version has a cleaner design and a much better restaurant search, but I still wanted it to feel like WhereThePho.

For now, the focus is simple: helping people find Vietnamese restaurants. Over time, I'd like it to become a broader guide to Vietnamese food, with restaurant stories and recommendations from the community.

If you remember the old site or know a place I should add, send me a note at hello@wherethepho.com. I'd like to hear from you.

Tony

Find your next bowl Say hello